


Dawning of New Friendships

by pocketfear13



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Coming of Age, Friendship, Gen, Mild Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-16 18:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3497678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocketfear13/pseuds/pocketfear13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Back when Mirkwood was still Eryn Lasgalen, young Legolas Thranduilion is out in the woods preparing for an upcoming festival with his friends when they discover something they wish they hadn't. Help arrives in the form of a red haired newcomer and a new friendship begins to form.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Hello! Remember how I said I was going to post a new story that had Legolas and Tauriel in it? Maybe? Kind of? No? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?  
> Well here it is. This takes place when Legolas (and Tauriel and the other characters) are in between 11-13 years old. Not children (at least in their minds) but not teenagers. As for the characters: Lacien, Halden, and Galadhwen *laurel tree* have all been mentioned in my LotR story Fathers. Galadhwen is the future Mrs. Legolas, Lacien *Dragon* is Legolas's childhood best friend, and Halden *gentle* is Legolas's personal guard. The newcomers are Nibenon *small one* and Emerion *shepard*. This story idea came about when I was watching the movie Super 8. The scene where the kids are sitting on the curb and singing My Sharona to be exact. I thought that was an awesome little snippet and the image of young Legolas hanging around with childhood friends popped into my head and demanded to be turned into a story.  
> The play they're putting on that Nibenon wrote is of my own mind and was spawned from being in the musical Little Women (I was Jo). She always writes these horrible tragedies and I felt Legolas needed a future bard for a friend (bard the profession, not Bard the Bowman.)  
> Tauriel isn't in the chapter but she appears in the next one. (Also I have to be totally honest and say I was writing this at 3am, alone in my house and my dogs started to growl at nothing and I totally freaked myself out.)

The forest of Eryn Lasgalen was light hearted. Sunlight streamed through the trees and gave the small circle clearing a soft, sleepy sort of light. Birds chirped and whistled among the branches and leaves as soft chatter in Elvish and laughter echoed from the clearing itself. Inside it held six young Elves. Not quite into their 'teenage' years but no more Elflings, the companions were clearly enjoying their new freedom of being away from the gates of the palace without adults surrounding them.  
Crouched in the branches of one of the trees surrounding the clearing was Prince Legolas Thranduilion, crown prince of Eryn Lasgalen itself. The young prince was obviously the leader of the group, across his back, a quiver of arrows and a bow. Next to him a blonde Elleth, clad in a loose fitting pair of patchwork breeches that became fit around the ankles and a matching tight bodice that came halfway down her torso, was tying off a rope to the tree trunk rolling her eyes at the bickering below. Legolas gave her a look and rolled his own eyes before swinging on the tree branch to hang upside down, "If all we're going to do is argue I'm going back to the archery range."  
Lacien, son of the Captain of the King's Army, looked up at his friend, "Why? Just to show up all of your father's soldiers?"  
Legolas gave him a look and dropped lightly from the tree to the ground below, "If I'm going to be in the archery tournament at the festival I need to practice."  
Emerion, by far the tallest member of the group, withheld a laugh the best he could, "Practice for what? I've never seen you miss a shot. Ever."  
Galadhwen straightened on the tree branch she stood on and looked down at them all, "Practice makes perfect."  
Lacien snorted, "Says the Elleth who spends more time slack-roping than she does on the ground."  
Galadhwen made a comment regarding the state of Lacien's parents' marriage at the time of his birth with a rather smug smile before leaping to one of the trees across the clearing, rope in hand, "I want to look good if I'm performing at the festival."  
Nibenon, the tiniest in the group, gave an exasperated noise, "None of us are going to be performing anything if we don't start practicing this!"  
Legolas took the group of papers that he was gesturing with and frowned down at it, "Do I die again in this one?"  
Nibenon nodded enthusiastically, "Of course! Whenever I kill you off it really effects the audience. They don't like seeing their Golden Prince perish."  
Legolas gave him a look, "Don't call me that. And just once I'd like to survive one of these stories. Just once."  
Galadhwen had her own gripes, "Just once I'd like to have another girl in these stories," She mentioned, perched on a thin rope that now stretched across the clearing, "I'm always the only girl."  
Nibenon gave her a look, "That's because you're the only girl I know. I wanted to add another girl to this story but I couldn't find anyone to play her. Now sit down so I can explain everything."  
Galadhwen dropped into a sitting position on the rope, legs dangling, occasionally leaning one way or another to keep her balance. Below her the boys settled on the ground except for Legolas who returned to the tree he was originally standing in. Nibenon waited until everyone had settled before he moved to the front to speak, "I finally finished the story. It's not perfect...there's another character I wish I could add in but I don't have anyone to play her. If this goes well I could actually get to work with some of the actual bards and performers from the festival. Now Legolas you'll be playing the king, Galadhwen you're his wife."  
The two in question exchanged looks of no surprise and smiled slightly at one another. Nibenon continued, "Emerion you're going to be the main character. You're the hardened warrior seeking redemption. Lacien, I need you to be the undead that they're fighting. I'd like to have a few more but I can't find anybody else who will do this. Can you make yourself look like the undead? And make Legolas look like he actually gets stabbed?"  
Lacien grinned mischievously, "Of course. False effects like that are my specialty."  
Nibenon grinned back at him before turning the only member of the small group who had yet to speak. Curled up against the base of the tree Legolas was perched in was Halden. Son of the head of the royal family's personal guards and poised to be Legolas's, Halden was a bit older than the other members of the group and by far more quiet, reserved, and shy, "Now Halden I need you to be Bolon's (that's Emerion's character) old warrior friend. You're just going to have a small scene in the beginning."  
Halden immediately froze, "No. Find someone else."  
"Halden! Come on! It's a small part!" Nibenon whined, attempting to persuade the best he could.  
Halden stood firm, voice quiet, "No. I don't like talking in front of people. I'm just here as Legolas's guard."  
When Nibenon attempted to protest further Legolas stepped in on his friend's behalf, "Leave it, Nib. If Halden doesn't want to do it, don't force him."  
Nibenon sighed noisily but relented, "Fine," He passed out sewn together scripts to everyone minus Halden, "The story is Bolon-that's you Emerion-is a tortured warrior who seeks redemption for the lives he took during his battles. He travels across the countryside, saving people and trying to save himself from a curse placed on him many years before. He has to save so many lives or he'll never find happiness and peace."  
Legolas looked down at him script and breathed heavily, "Sounds very uplifting so far."  
The others tried to stifle their laughter as Nibenon glared at him, "As I was saying-Bolon gets into a battle with one of the undead walking the land (Lacien you have to play all the undead. And you need to look grey. Work on that.) and gets injured. He's rescued by the beautiful Bainil-"  
Galadhwen interjected, "You named my character 'beauty'? Isn't that kind hitting it on the head a little too hard? She's beautiful, her name is beautiful, her spirit is beautiful....."  
"Well we have to be able to tell she's beautiful somehow," Lacien teased up at her before she casually dropped a rock on his head from seemingly nowhere.  
Nibenon glared again, "Can we continue?"  
Lacien rubbed the spot where to rock had hit him before sticking out his tongue at Galadhwen, "Yes, yes...Beauty the beautiful played the beautiful Galadhwen. Keep going."  
Nibenon continued, "Bainil rescues him as he's near death and brings him back to her kingdom to be healed by her and her husband, King Rivalton. As Bainil heals Bolon, he falls in love with her but she's very devoted and in love with her husband who is a great and just king and well loved by his people."  
Galadhwen looked over her shoulder at where Legolas was now tightening the string on his bow and murmured quietly with a grin, "Just like in real life."  
Legolas attempted to hide the slight blush at her compliment but couldn't help but smile back. Nibenon continued, "Now as Bolon heals he talks to the king about how he was cursed by a sorcerer and that same curse brought these undead armies to life that he must fight. He spends some time in the kingdom and realizes that as much as he loves Bainil, he can't hate Rivalton because he's such a good king and person. One day Bainil gets kidnapped by the undead creatures and taken away. Bolon tries to rescue her but he can't by himself so he talks with the king and they decide they must attack this sorcerer's castle-"  
Emerion looked up, confused, "Wait....you never mentioned a sorcerer. Who's playing him?"  
Nibenon shoulders slumped, "Me. I couldn't find anybody else to do it."  
Legolas, "I'm assuming that battle is where my character dies?"  
Nibenon nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! You die protecting Bolon in an act of selflessness because only he can stop these undead creatures and you view his life as more valuable."  
"..........great."  
Galadhwen flipped through the script before pausing when something caught her attention. She read quickly before looking up, "Wait...I die too!?"  
Nibenon nodded, "It's going to be very dramatic and heart-wrenching. Your husband dies in your arms and your soul dies with him. Unable to continue, you kill yourself despite the fact the Bolon loves you deeply. You just can't love him back. So you kill yourself and in his grief Bolon lets the sorcerer go and must continue the quest to break his curse once again by himself."  
There was silence for a long moment before Legolas looked at his friend, "Nibenon, who is going to want to see this? It's very.....dark."  
Halden plucked the script from Emerion's hands, "Not to mention your character-the bad guy-is the only one who wins in the end."  
Nibenon sniffed, "You all just don't understand good storytelling. It's a tragedy. Sometimes we want the audience to feel sad and uncomfortable."  
Emerion took his script back, "Well this will do it."  
Nibenon sighed, "Just make sure you act it well.....and thanks for doing this. All of you."  
Emerion stood and stretched, "You're welcome. Now let's start rehearsing this. We only have a week until the festival."  
Nibenon took a deep breath and steadied himself, "I know. When are we performing? I know Legolas has the archery tournament first."  
Galadhwen stood back up on her rope and began to walk backwards, "We perform right before dinner. I think your play is right afterwards. During dinner is the main play with the songs and poems and things like that."  
Nibenon nodded, "I'll make sure you have enough time to change then. Now-I want to start with Emerion over her to my left..."  
As Nibenon began giving direction a twig snapped to the right of them across the clearing in the bushes and trees. A small hissing noise followed that only Halden seemed to hear. Halden scanned the trees for any sign of movement but the forest was still and silent. Halden frowned, almost too still and silent, "Did you hear that?"  
Nibenon continued to direct Emerion into a mock fight with Lacien, seeming to not hear him. Halden kept his eyes on the surrounding trees but raised his voice, "Guys!"  
SIlence took over. Rarely-if ever-did Halden raise his voice. Legolas jumped to the ground, "What is it?"  
Halden continued to stare, "I-I don't know. I heard something....a twig snapping and then what sounded like-like a hiss."  
Nibenon frowned at having been interrupted, "Twigs snap all the time. We're in the forest."  
Emerion frowned as well, "But you don't hear hissing. Did it sound like an orc?"  
Nibenon shook his head, "The trees would have warned us if it was an orc."  
Halden shook his head as well, "It didn't sound like an orc. It sounded...like a hiss," He looked around at the group, "And none of you heard anything?"  
They all shook their head. Galadhwen (who had made it to the other tree across her rope) stepped back out, "Nothing. Maybe you imagined it with everyone talking."  
Halden nodded but continued to frown, unsure. Nibenon shrugged a shoulder and turned back to Lacien and Emerion, "Now Lacien I need you to have a wooden sword that looks like it glows green, Bolon's sword will also glow green because it's the only thing that can kill the undead..."  
Halden let their voices fade and continued to scan the area around the clearing with a frown, body rigid and pulled tight. Legolas laid a gentle hand on his should causing him to jump. He spun around to see the crown prince looking at him with an indulgent, soft smile, "I'm sure it was nothing but I'll keep listening too just in case."  
Halden smiled at his friend gratefully and settled down at the base of the tree again, though this not he did not relax, eyes still fixed on the woods around them.  
Nibenon, meanwhile, continued to direct, "Now Emerion-you're on the ground, wounded. Lacien-you're about to deal the death blow when Galadhwen calls out."  
Galadhwen walked out to the centre of the rope and stood tall, balanced precariously, "Creatures!"  
She was interrupted by Nibenon's excited cry, "Yes! Wait! I want you to actually use the slack-rope in the show! You look like a fae and it's so perfect! You look like you're flying!"  
Galadhwen managed a bow, "Why thank you!"  
As they continued to chatter another twig snapped, this time near the front of the clearing. Another hiss followed and Halden spoke again, "Wait! Please tell me you heard that!"  
Nibenon and Emerion shook their heads but Legolas spoke softly, "No. That time I heard it. It was a hiss. A twig snapped and then there was a hiss.  
Galadhwen stilled on her rope, "I thought I imagined it but I think I may have heard it too."  
Emerion's voice had a slight quiver in it, "Should we go back to the palace?"  
Nibenon tried to keep his voice steady but his quivered too, "No. No. It's the forest....the trees would warn us if it was something dangerous."  
Silence swept over the small clearing and the group went perfectly still for a long moment before Lacien whispered, "Why can't I hear any birds?"  
Galadhwen, meanwhile kept her eyes trained on the group of tree rustling in front of them. As it drew closer her breathing quickened and she pointed, "There's something coming this way."  
Nibenon and Lacien began to back up slowly, looking in the direction Galadhwen was pointing. As the movement became clear and the snapping of branches became louder Emerion turned to his companions slightly, "Maybe it's a deer....like Nibenon said, the tree would warn us if it was something...."  
Simultaneously the trees began screaming a warning as a massive creature lunged from the foliage at them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I totally based Tauriel's family off of Lor's in the show The Weekenders (it was from my childhood). She's the only girl in a huge family. Tauriel is tough so I figured she had to have a lot of brothers to pick on her and make her that way. You'll get to meet the rest of them in a bit. Ironically as I was writing I realized up until her I accidently created the Weasley Family. There are three older brothers, a set of (almost) identical twins, another brother, then Tauriel and her twin. Totally a coincidence but awesome all the same. So in this chapter we introduce the twins: Ruscion *fox* and Ononion (pronounced oh-no-nee-on) *twin/second born*, Balanidhren-he'd be the Ron I suppose-(pronounced Bahl-ahn-ee-threnn) *wise power*, and Gellamdor *combination of jubilation and brother*. Morcion *bear* is mentioned; as is Lacien's father, Canadrion. Thranduil's elk's name translates to warrior. Anywho....on with the story!

In the forest of Eryn Lasgalen, among the trees, a young, red haired Elleth walked amongst the branches and leaves, keeping a steady pace and slowly leaving her four companions behind her. With an annoyed sigh she paused and turned herself around, waiting impatiently for her brothers to catch up, "Will you hurry up? It'll be dark by the time we get there!"  
Another redhead, an Elf slightly older than the Elleth in question, named Balanidhren rolled his eyes but nevertheless did quicken his pace, "Where exactly is 'there', Tauriel? Where are we going?"  
Two of the Elves in the small group were unnervingly similar, yet not quite identical if one looked hard enough. They kept their pace slow and casual. At Balanidhren's questioning of their sister the twin on the right, Ruscion, smirked up at the trees, "Taur is stalking the prince."  
Tauriel leveled him with her most intimidating glare, "I am not stalking anybody!"  
The other twin to the left, Ononion, smirked as well, "So we just happen to be in the forest, heading in the direction the trees mentioned Prince Legolas and his friends went in? That's one impressive coincidence."  
Tauriel sent them both a gesture she had seen her elder brother Morcion give on more than one occasion, "Just follow me."  
The last member of the group, another redhead the same age as Tauriel swung up into the trees to catch up with his twin, "Taur, why are we following Prince Legolas?"  
Tauriel sent him a hard look, "We're not following anybody, Gellamdor. We're going to practice our sword drills," She glanced away and chewed at her lip for a moment, "If we happen to run into the prince and his friends and end up practicing with them...well...that'd be fine."  
Balanidhren hopped into the branches by his sister, "If you want to 'happen to run into' the prince you're going the wrong way. The trees having been saying they stopped in a clearing about ten minutes ago."  
Tauriel felt the banging both her head and his against the tree, "And the reason you couldn't have said this sooner?"  
Balanidhren gave her a look, "Because I'm not helping you stalk the Prince of Eryn Lasgalen!"  
Ononion turned to head in the direction the trees had told them the prince was in, "What happens if you 'happen' to meet him? Do you have a plan if it actually happens or are you going to hide in the trees and stare at him?"  
Tauriel swung down from the tree and dropped down on top of him, nearly taking them both to the ground. He hoisted his sister more firmly on his back and continued walking. Tauriel wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head on his shoulder, "....I don't....but he seems so nice. He the golden prince! And he's around my age....and he's....dashing....and a great warrior, and a great prince...I just want to get to know him."  
Ruscion appeared on the side of his twin with a fond look at his younger sister, "I understand that, Taur, but keep in mind he's the prince. Don't be heartbroken if he has enough friends. He may not want to spend time with Silvan merchants' children."  
Tauriel nodded somberly and rested her chin back on Ononion's shoulder. The group of siblings continued in a comfortable silence until they heard soft laughter and Elvish voices coming from up ahead. Tauriel's head shot up and she slid off her brother's back, stopping in her tracks, "I change my mind. Let's go back home."  
Balanidhren groaned, "Are you kidding me? After all that?"  
Ruscion sighed and looked his sister firmly in the eye, "Let's get a bit closer. We'll see what they're doing. Maybe that will give you some courage to 'happen to bump into them'."  
"But we walked all the way out here and you back out I promise we're leaving you in the woods next time," Ononion threatened lightly.  
Tauriel screwed up her face and took a deep breath, "Just a little closer. I don't want them think we're hiding from them or stalking them."  
Gellamdor followed his siblings with a mutter under his breath, But we ARE stalking them."  
The group of siblings crept closer, keeping their footsteps as quiet as possible. As the clearing drew closer Ruscion, Ononion, and Tauriel moved into the trees to conceal themselves better while getting a better vantage point. Balanidhren and Gellamdor stayed stubbornly on the ground. At Tauriel's gesture for them to follow Balanidhren shook his head, "No. I don't want to be exiled or killed for stalking the prince. I think that's considered treason. If you decide to talk to him I'll go with. I'm not spying on him. That's creepy."  
Tauriel rolled her eyes and settled on one of the upper branches of the tree, peeking through the leaves at the group below. The group seemed to be preparing some sort of play with a smaller Elf directing them on what to do. Prince Legolas was seated in a tree, resting against it's trunk, a bow on his lap that he was fiddling with. Perched across the top of the clearing was a blonde Elleth clad in breeches and a half bodice, exposing her midriff. She was balanced, alarmingly on a rope that seemed far too thin that stretched between two trees. Tauriel looked her over and looked down ruefully at the tunic and pants she wore that had once belonged to, no doubt, at least three of her elder brother before her. Also among the group was the Captain of the King's Army's son, Lacien, as well as the prince's personal guard, Halden.  
Tauriel settled on her stomach to watch, quickly getting caught up in the story being told. As a mock sword fight began between a tall Elf (who she thought may have been named either Bolon or Emerion...she wasn't sure) and Lacien movement across the clearing caught her attention.  
"Did you hear that?"  
Tauriel looked down and saw Halden on his feet. Apparently she wasn't the only one. As Halden's eyes scanned the trees and his head moved in her direction she held perfectly still, desperately hoping it wasn't her he had heard. The small group dismissed the noise as nothing and Tauriel felt her head spin with relief. A hand on her shoulder almost caused her to yelp, clamping her hands over her mouth at the last second. She whirled around to see Ruscion looking at her anxiously, "That was too close. Balanidhren's right. I'm not being thrown in the dungeons for stalking the prince."  
Tauriel shook her head and kept her voice nothing more than a breath, "It wasn't us. There's something on the other side of the clearing."  
Ononion frowned, "Like an orc?"  
Ruscion frowned as well, "Not an orc...the trees would have told us if it was an orc."  
Ononion's frown deepened, "Either way we should tell them. And we're going home. Something doesn't feel right. The trees are too quiet."  
The trio made their way down the tree to the forest floor where Balanidhren and Gellamdor were pressed against the trunk, eyes wide. Ruscion dropped down in front of them and started walking, "We're going home. Something is wrong. I can feel it."  
Gellamdor's voice was hushed and strained, "The forest is silent. There's no noise. And there's something here. It hissed."  
Balanidhren nodded, "We both heard it."  
Ononion began scanning the wood around them, "We're going home. Forget warning the prince. The trees will warn them if something's wrong."  
No sooner had he spoke that the trees began screaming a warning of danger to all the Elves nearby. The siblings spun around in time to see a dark, black shape lunge into the clearing. Tauriel made a strangled screech and quickly ascended the tree again to see what happened. Ruscion turned to his younger brother's, "Go get help! Go to the palace! Now!"  
Gellamdor took off at top speed but Balanidhren followed the twins up the tree behind Tauriel. The siblings all froze in horror for a long moment at the scene below. There was a spider. A massive, massive black spider. It was something you only saw in nightmares and tales. It rushed into the clearing, making a horrid hissing noise that seemed to turn skin. Instantly the prince's party, despite being caught off guard, was in warrior mode. Swords were pulled out seconds before the creature reared up and sliced the rope holding the Elleth. She went flying and didn't reemerge. It the same instant it seemed to knock the tallest Elf into a tree where they heard a sickening crack. Without thinking Tauriel drew her practice blades and leapt from the tree onto the spider's back. Cursing, Ruscion and Ononion followed, drawing their swords as well. Balanidhren slid to the ground and rushed in front that level, feeling sick to his stomach as he did.  
The spider hissed loudly as one of Tauriel's blades made it into it's back before she was knocked off and rolled to the side. Fear took over for a moment as she saw both her brothers get knocked off as well. The spider loomed over her for a second and her mind went blank, fear paralyzing her instantly. The creature was by far the scariest thing she could image. Far scarier than any orc, goblin, or trolls. It's fangs dripped with some kind of thick fluid and she distantly realized that they were all going to die before the spider lurched back as if hit with something. That split second gave Balanidhren enough time to pull her to the side and Tauriel snapped back to herself. Sticking out of the back of the spider was an arrow, no doubt belonging to the prince. Prince Legolas managed to fire two more shots before the spider lunged at him and he jumped out of the tree and out of the way.  
Halden and Lacien lunged from either side at the thing, swords slicing at it the best they could manage. Prince Legolas rolled to his feet after a moment and fired another arrow, this time hitting it in the head. The spider screeched at them and made it's way into the trees, trying to retreat. Halden, Lacien, Prince Legolas, and the twins briefly made to follow it before Nibenon threw the knife he was holding at it. The blade struck true in the spider's abdomen and it screeched again before rushing off.  
The whole clearing went utterly still for a moment; Balanidhren blocking Tauriel from harm's way with one arm when she spoke shakily, "What was that thing?"  
As his siblings fought for their lives Gellamdor ran as fast as he could through the forest, leaping over branches and logs, entirely focused on getting to the palace. As his legs started to go numb and his vision began to go black around the edges the palace gates came into view. No caring what happened around him and utterly focused on his goal, Gellamdor rushed past the guards who followed him with a startled cry. One of them caught him around the middle and lifted him clear off the ground. Gellamdor struggled the best he could, "I need to see the king! There's a monster attacking! The prince!"  
He wiggled his way out of their grip and bolted to the throne room where he prayed the king was. He heard the guards' cries of dismay but ignore them, intent on getting help.  
Thankfully the king was on his throne, speaking with a few other Elves in the room. Not even thinking Gellamdor bolted in front of the throne, throwing himself down to his knees as he gasped out what he could, "Majesty! Monster! Attacking!"  
After fighting in the Last Alliance which saw the death of his father, making him king as an Elf barely out of his childhood, losing his wife, causing him to have to raise their young son as a single father, many, many years on the throne, and, last but not least, raising a son who-in his opinion-was the only perfect thing on Middle Earth but spent had spent half of his young life in the healer's ward, not much could surprise King Thranduil on a day to day basis. However a young, Silvan Elf running into the throne room completely out of breath manage to stun him into silence for at least a short moment. Behind the child (for that's what he was) can two of his guards, both of whom looked incredibly sheepish at having allowed him to slip past. Both dropped to one knee before they both spoke, cutting each other off.  
"So sorry, Your Majesty-"  
"Slipped past-"  
"Something about needing help-"  
"Monster-"  
'Help' was the word that registered. Thranduil was instantly out of the throne and on the same level with the small Elf, "What's wrong?"  
The boy gasped for breath, "There's a monster attacking my brothers and sister and the prince and his friends!"  
Thranduil saw white briefly before he looked at the child intensely, "Are you sure?"  
The boy nodded, eyes utterly terrified but not by him. Thranduil tried to stay as calm as he could, "Can you show me where?"  
The boy nodded, still breathing hard. Thranduil briskly headed out of the palace, the child running to keep up. Canadion, his eldest and closest friend and Lacien's father, fell into stride with him. The guards had rushed out immediately, no doubt (if they wanted to keep their jobs) to retrieve his elk. Sure enough, outside the palace gates, Maethor pranced impatiently. Thranduil mounted fluidly and reached down to pull up the boy behind him, "Show me where."  
The boy pointed and Thranduil took off, praying to the Valar that his son was once again able to escape this trouble with his life.


	3. Chapter 3

Tauriel took in the utter silence for what seemed like eternity before speaking, "What was that thing?"  
Legolas and the twins turned back around shakily as Halden stumbled to the bushes and began retching violently. Legolas's voice was quiet and had a consistent tremor to it, "Is everybody alright?"  
Lacien's eyes were the size of his head, "What was that! Ddid you see that thing! It was the size of some of these trees! Where did it comes from!"  
Nibenon whipped around to face him, near tears, "Lacien! Shut up! It's going to come back!"  
Lacien continued, still in shock, "But what was it! Spiders aren't supposed to get that big! Was that even a spider!"  
Nibenon rushed over and went to cover his mouth, "Lacien! Stop talking! You're going to end up drawing it back here!"  
Legolas took in the clearing shakily and noticed Halden still getting sick, "Halden....you alright?"  
Halden looked up and nodded before getting sick again. Ononion managed to get his mouth to work and looked the prince over, "Your Highness, are you all right?"  
Legolas nodded, still dazed, "I'm fine. My heart is racing though," He glanced down to his palm and saw it was bleeding, "And I cut my hand."  
Ruscion panned over everyone quickly and noticed one boy still sitting weakly against a tree. He swiftly made his way over and knelt next to him, "Are you hurt?"  
He nodded, jaw clenched, "I think my leg is broken."  
Within seconds Legolas was on his other side, "Emerion are you alright? Is anything else hurt?"  
Emerion shook his head and shut his eyes tightly, "Just my leg."  
Legolas stood and instantly everyone saw the change from friend to prince, "Is anyone else injured? Halden, you still fine?"  
Halden nodded and held back another gag. Lacien was still babbling nonsensically, "That thing was unbelievable! SPiders aren't supposed to by that large!"  
Nibenon shook him by the shoulders roughly, his voice cracking, "Lacien, please shut up!"  
Legolas did a head count briefly before his stomach twisted painfully, "Where's Galadhwen?"  
Nibenon and Lacien kept arguing before the prince strode over and yanked them apart roughly, "Galadhwen! Where is she? Has anyone seen her?"  
The clearing went silence again. Halden straightened shakily and wiped his mouth, "Did anyone see what happened to her?"  
Tauriel stepped forward and raised her arm, "I did. She got thrown when the...spider...first rushed out."  
Legolas grabbed his bow from where it was laying on the ground near the edge of the clearing, "I'm going to look for her."  
"No need," A voice called from the trees, "I'm right here."  
Galadhwen hopped down from the branches of one of the trees gently, "I'm fine. I got thrown and got stunned but I'm fine. I didn't even hit my head."  
Legolas looked her over before nodding, "Emerion broke his leg."  
Galadhwen was instantly at his side, "I'm going to have to cut off the leg of your breeches so I can see, alright?"  
Emerion nodded and screwed up his face in a wince, "Owowow!"  
Galadhwen gave him a smile that bordered on hysterical tears, "I haven't even touched you, you idiot."  
Lacien handed her a knife from inside his boot and she went about cutting off his pant leg as gently as she could, "It looks clean...I want to stabilize it so it doesn't move while we're heading home. Could someone get me some cloth and...maybe two sticks that are straight?"  
Balanidhren reached over and plucked the practice sword from his sister's grasp before wiping both hers and his off on his shirt, "Will these work? If you lay them flat against his skin?"  
Galadhwen nodded, "Cloth please?"  
Legolas pulled off his over tunic and handed it over, "Cut it up for what you need."  
She grabbed his hand along with the tunic and looked it over, "Let me bind that when I'm done with him."  
He nodded and leaned against the tree heavily, listening distantly to Emerion's stifled whimpers as his leg was set. He looked over the clearing again and realized that four of the Elves among them he didn't know, "Thank you for the help but who are you?"  
Tauriel looked at her brothers and Ononion gestured her forward to speak, "I'm Tauriel Rainioniell. These are my elder brothers, Ruscion and Ononion and Balanidhren."  
Lacien spoke up from where he was kneeling on the ground, grasping Emerion's hand for support, "Again, it's not that we're not grateful for the help but how did you know we were out here?"  
Tauriel's eyes widened a fracture before Ruscion came to her rescue, "Tauriel just got her practice sword. We were coming out here to train when we heard you in the clearing. We went to go see who you were and saw that spider. Before we had a chance to warn you, it attacked."  
Balanidhren's head shot up, "Gellamdor!"  
Lacien raised an eyebrow, "How many children does your family have?"  
"Fourteen," Ononion replied before turning to his brother, "I'm sure he's fine. He went in the opposite direction from that thing."  
Ruscion explained further, "Tauriel's twin. We sent him for help immediately."  
Lacien turned to look in the direction the spider had fled in, "Do you think there are more of them out there?"  
Everyone fell silent except for the occasional whimper from Emerion and murmured apology from Galadhwen before Nibenon spoke, finally calming down some, "Lacien....please stop talking about it."  
Galadhwen stood and held out her hand for Legolas's, "Let me see that before it gets infected."  
Legolas placed his hand in hers, palm up, "Is anyone else injured?"  
There was a collective shake of everyone's head before Emerion spoke softly, "I don't really feel anything. My leg hurts but even that doesn't hurt as much as it should."  
Nibenon's voice was quiet as well, "I feel numb. Not scared, not worried, not anything anymore. Just numb."  
Galadhwen finished tying off Legolas's hand before leaning into his shoulder and bursting into silent tears. Legolas lowered them both to the ground beside Emerion when Lacien spoke up, "What do we do if it comes back here?"  
Nibenon's voice turned shaky again, "Lacien!"  
Lacien whirled to face him, "I'm serious! You lost one of your blades, Legolas is running out of arrows and we can't move Emerion! What are we supposed to do now!"  
Galadhwen lifted her head and wiped angrily at her face, "Screaming is just going to attract more of those things here! Shut up! Both of you!" She turned to the new members of the group with a deep breath, "I'm Galadhwen."  
Tauriel, who felt tears coming on herself, chuckled lightly, "Mae govannen."  
Halden all but collapsed himself on the other side of Legolas, "I'm Halden Aithonion."  
Emerion was next, voice tight from the pain he was in, "I'm Emerion Aefaradienion. And the little one is Nibenon Lancaeronion."  
Nibenon gave him a halfhearted glared, "I'm not that little. You're just too tall."  
Lacien raised his hand in greeting, "I'm Lacien Canadionion."  
Galadhwen rested her head back on Legolas shoulder, "And if you don't know who Legolas is you've clearly been living with Dwarves."  
Tauriel burst out laughing, "Prince Legolas is known by our family."  
A far more comfortable silence settled in until it was once again broken by Lacien, "I'm hungry."  
Nibenon sighed with relief, "I honestly thought you were going to bring that thing up again and I was going to have to kill you."  
Galadhwen looked up at where the sky peeked through the trees, "The sky is turning yellow. It has to be close to dinner."  
Balanidhren turned to look in the direction Gellamdor had run off in, "We sent our brother to the palace for help. Help has to be on the way."  
Legolas gently moved Galadhwen off of him and stood, "We should come up with a plan to get back either way."  
Nibenon stood as well, "There's no way we can carry Emerion back without hurting him. And we can't leave him here."  
Tauriel looked at her brothers, "The twins are tall enough to help support him if we have to move him. One on either side..."  
Legolas sighed, "I don't like just sitting here....I doubt there was only one of those things and I don't want to find the rest."  
At that moment there was a loud rustling in the trees and instantly everyone was one their feet, bodies tense. Galadhwen and Lacien went to either side of Emerion who was struggling to stand and moved him back down. Galadhwen pushed him back down with a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Emerion, sit."  
Legolas readied an arrow in his bow, "The trees are silent....they would warn us if it was one of those things again."  
He took a hesitant step forward when five shapes seemed to melt out of the trees. Legolas took one look at his father and allowed his shoulders to slump in relief, "Ada!"  
Thranduil grasped his son by the shoulder's tightly and looked him over, "Are you injured?"  
Legolas held up his hand, "Just a scrape. Emerion broke his leg when he was thrown."  
Canadion was instantly at the boy's side, "Who bound his leg?"  
Galadhwen raised her hand hesitantly, "I didn't want it to get jostled if we had to move him."  
Canadion nodded, "Very smart. Is anybody else hurt? At all?"  
All head shook in unison. A smaller figured hopped down from the trees as well and was instantly engulfed by his siblings. Thranduil straightened, "What happened?"  
Silence.  
All the young Elves met each others' eyes in a group shock. Thranduil tried again, "I don't need the whole story yet. I just need to know what attack you all."  
Lacien's voice was hesitant, "A spider. A giant, giant spider."  
Canadion and Thranduil met eyes in a moment of dread. Canadion looked at his son firmly, "Are you sure it was a spider? There's no doubt in your mind?"  
All heads nodded again and Thranduil felt his stomach twist, "Were any of you bitten?"  
Legolas shook his head, "No. The scrape is from falling and Emerion got thrown. It didn't bite any of us."  
Thranduil went completely silent for a long moment, his face betraying nothing. Legolas looked at him hesitantly, "Ada?"  
Thranduil looked down at him, "It's nothing. Let's get you all back to the palace. I want you all to see a healer. You're all in shock."  
Instantly the other Elves in the king's company went back into the trees to go retrieve the extra elk and horses they had brought with for that reason. As they got the children mounted two to a steed Thranduil kept his eyes trained on both them and the forest surrounding everyone. Distantly he registered Canadion approach him from the left, "Ungoliant?"  
Thranduil nodded slowly, "I want to hear exactly what happened but yes.....I think Ungoliant was exactly what that was...."  
The king turned and assisted in lifting Emerion onto one of the elk with minimal movement to his leg, "I want the ride to the palace to be a swift and smooth as possible. Guards on the outside, children on the inside."  
He quickly mounted behind his son and with a final, somber glance back at the clearing they headed back.


End file.
